Living in the slums
India is known as being the second worst country in sanitation and also houses the biggest slum in the world, which is located in Mumbai Dharvi. Although India does have its wealthy and luxurious lifestyle, the country is also consumed by its overwhelming poverty. More than half of the country is made up of people in the lower class, making slums very prominent and unsanitary everywhere in India. The conditions in slums are known to be so horrible that children are dying every day due to diseases cause by the filth. Since there is no effective method of sanitation in India in the slums, about 1 billion people have no choice but to dispose of their garbage on the floor every day. Several epidemics of Diarrhea, water diseases, parasitic worms/infestation and fecal orals diseases have spread throughout slums and infected its inhabitants. Children are especially vulnerable to the disease. Children are so vulnerable; in fact, that it is common if a child is the host of over 1,000 parasitic worms. Every day, about two million children under the age of five die from these diseases. The mortality rates of children in India have increased dramatically and the overall life expectancy of the country has dropped. Although these diseases are causing death and sickness throughout India, this outbreak can be stopped by having the access to clean water and a restroom.
All of the houses in the slums are one bedroom spaces that are made from any materials that can be found. The houses are built without ventilation in mind or a way to receive natural light. Because of this factor, the air in the slums of India is not only polluted outside, but even more so inside the shelters of the poor. Since the homes have poor ventilation, the indoor air pollution is more devastating. A study done by the Chest Research Foundation and the Imperial College in London show that indoor air pollution is one of the leading causes in the increase of COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is a disease that makes it hard to breathe and gradually gets worse over life. People who contract COPD because of the poor air quality will be coughing and wheezing for the rest of their lives.
Along with having air pollution surrounding people in the slums, they can also not escape from polluted water. The access to clean water in slums is impossible to obtain so the water used is filled with chemicals, trash, and human waste. Due to the unsanitary environment of the slums, flies mosquitos are a constant presence in the homes of people and therefore infect any stored water at home with malaria. This also contributes to the amount of water related diseases present and the low mortality rate of children.
Along with unsanitary conditions at home spreading disease, they are also being spread by medical clinics as well. Medical attention in slum areas is rare and not great quality. One of the problems with the medical care being given in slums is with the vaccines. The drugs will be administered into the patients with syringes that have been used several times on several different patients. The needles are being exposed to different illnesses from different patients and then not being cleaned before being used again to treat another ill patient. This is further helping to spread the epidemic diseases in slums. Not only are the needles not used or cleaned properly, but they are also disposed of as carelessly as the rest of the trash. Children can find the syringes while playing and pick them up to resell them for 10 cents, and continue the cycle of introducing disease to patients, or use the needle to drink water out of.
All of the houses in the slums are one bedroom spaces that are made from any materials that can be found. The houses are built without ventilation in mind or a way to receive natural light. Because of this factor, the air in the slums of India is not only polluted outside, but even more so inside the shelters of the poor. Since the homes have poor ventilation, the indoor air pollution is more devastating. A study done by the Chest Research Foundation and the Imperial College in London show that indoor air pollution is one of the leading causes in the increase of COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is a disease that makes it hard to breathe and gradually gets worse over life. People who contract COPD because of the poor air quality will be coughing and wheezing for the rest of their lives.
Along with having air pollution surrounding people in the slums, they can also not escape from polluted water. The access to clean water in slums is impossible to obtain so the water used is filled with chemicals, trash, and human waste. Due to the unsanitary environment of the slums, flies mosquitos are a constant presence in the homes of people and therefore infect any stored water at home with malaria. This also contributes to the amount of water related diseases present and the low mortality rate of children.
Along with unsanitary conditions at home spreading disease, they are also being spread by medical clinics as well. Medical attention in slum areas is rare and not great quality. One of the problems with the medical care being given in slums is with the vaccines. The drugs will be administered into the patients with syringes that have been used several times on several different patients. The needles are being exposed to different illnesses from different patients and then not being cleaned before being used again to treat another ill patient. This is further helping to spread the epidemic diseases in slums. Not only are the needles not used or cleaned properly, but they are also disposed of as carelessly as the rest of the trash. Children can find the syringes while playing and pick them up to resell them for 10 cents, and continue the cycle of introducing disease to patients, or use the needle to drink water out of.